


Arnold and Chloe's Personal Fate

by YahooSounding



Category: Hey Arnold!
Genre: Crushes, F/M, French Kissing, Kissing, Older Woman/Younger Man, Romance, Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:33:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23844511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YahooSounding/pseuds/YahooSounding
Summary: What if Chloe did not meet up with Gerald, but rather meet Arnold alone?  Will a slow romance blossom between the older African American girl and the young football headed boy?  Both of them are about to head deep into an adventure none of them will ever forget.
Relationships: Chloe/Arnold Shortman
Comments: 10
Kudos: 14





	1. A Fated Meeting

The lifelong question that people tend to ask, and can never get a straight answer to was this. Was there such a thing as fate? To some people, the concept of fate was silly and mere coincidence. But for most people, fate was just part of a larger adventure.

And that concept could not be described better than in the city of Hillwood, where supernatural stories tend to either be real or not real, where friendships can be complicated or quite simple. Sometimes, the neighborhood can be pretty dangerous, but it's a nice neighborhood to be in, where every kid on the block knew where everything was.

In fact, there is one kid that always thought differently of fate. He either cursed fate for being cruel, or thanked it for being so kind and helpful on its way. And that kid was Arnold, the football head of the neighborhood. Most everybody knew his name at this point, and there wasn't anybody that Arnold didn't help out when trouble came around. After all, this was the same kid that helped the adults through trying times, helped his fellow students through difficult parts of their lives, and even tried to get somebody back on the right track when they seemed to go down a dark road. Even then, he had a little help from his friends.

In fact, it was a nice summer day that Arnold had just been consoling his best friend Gerald over a small tiff with his older brother. Gerald had went on the ground, groaning as he held his head.

"Just this once, I want to have something that even Jamie-O can't take away from me! Is that so wrong?" Gerald asked as he looked towards his best friend.

Arnold gave a sigh as he looked towards his friends. "I wouldn't know anything about having siblings, Gerald, but I can tell you a few things about teenagers that Grandpa told me."

Gerald raised an eyebrow. "How's that?"

"You have to be patient with them. Yes, they can make mistakes and often take away your stuff... but try not to think hard about it. They're still people trying to figure out what to do." Arnold said. "Besides, you still helped him when he was dating the wrong girl, right?"

Gerald paused as he looked towards his friend. "Hmmmm... point taken. But still, don't you get tired of Jamie-O being a little... rough happy?"

Arnold paused. "Well, I guess that comes with the older sibling going through a phase sort of ordeal. Just be patient with him."

"So, you're just telling me he should just take my stuff whenever he likes?" Gerald frowned, glaring at him.

"I'm not saying that. I'm saying that you should give to the world, and the world gives you something back. You can even call it fate." Arnold gave a smile.

"Fate?" Gerald raised an eyebrow. "Do you even believe in such a concept?"

"Well... it all depends. Things happen for a reason, Gerald. But you just watch. We'll grow into teenagers someday, and you'll understand just what'll happen when we reach that age." Arnold said.

The tall haired boy looked over towards his friend, before giving a sigh. "I guess... man, and I thought growing up was going to be easy."

"Nothing's quite easy in life." Arnold said as he looked down. "I mean, look at how many times I tried to go out on dates."

"Most of them with Lila." Gerald pointed out. "And she probably told you the same thing every time you asked."

"I don't need to repeat the words." Arnold said in a deadpan voice. "I want to try again on the dating department, but I either mess up or something happens out of my control. Is it wrong that I just want one moment of success when it comes to dating?"

Gerald shrugged. "Eh, I don't know. But cheer up. I'm sure you'll find somebody. Just give it some time."

"Yeah, thanks." Arnold nodded as Gerald started to get up to his house. "Well, I'll see you later, Gerald."

"See you, man!" Gerald grinned as he and Arnold did their secret handshake with their thumbs wiggling before heading off to separate directions.

But just as Gerald closed the door and Arnold was about to walk past the next house over, he didn't realize that, around the same time, someone was descending down the stairs as both Arnold and the figure bumped into each other, causing the figure to drop a pink cup that was on the ground, a small crack being heard on the ground.

Arnold yelped as he noticed the cup. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry, I didn't see where I was-"

"I'm sorry, I didn't see where I was-" The figure said at the same time as both of them tried to reach for the cup.

At this moment, both of them stopped as Arnold lifted his head to look over the person he ran into. She was a dark skinned girl with black hair tied in a long pony tail with two blue hair bands. The girl looked a couple years older than the boy, wearing a light blue T-shirt, a dark blue mini-skirt, light blue socks and white shoes. His green eyes were staring directly into her chocolate covered ones for a minute as the two stared at each other.

Arnold coughed a bit as he picked up the cup, handing it to the girl. "Uh, here. I'm so sorry."

"It's my fault. I should have watched where I was going." The girl sighed as she looked over the cup before noticing a crack. "Oh no, this is my mother's favorite china. I was going to go over next door to borrow a cup of sugar."

Arnold felt a little bad as he bit his lip. "I'm so sorry... maybe I can help you fix it."

"There's no need to-" The dark skinned girl started as Arnold took the cup.

"Hey, I have a friend that lives next door, I'm sure I can ask him for the sugar." Arnold said with a genuine smile.

The girl looked over at the young boy as she returned the smile with one of her own. "You don't mind?"

"It's no trouble at all." Arnold smiled as he offered his hand. "I'm Arnold."

The girl in blue clothing returned the handshake as she gave a smile. "I'm Chloe. I just moved in next door, and I'm still settling in. I was busy making some cookies, but my parents were out and I didn't have any sugar. But if she finds out I broke this..."

"Hey, it's no trouble at all." Arnold smiled as Chloe gave a small grin, looking towards the young man. "I'll just go over real quick and ask."

Chloe gave a nod as she sat down near the steps and watched as Arnold started to approach the door, knocking on it as she watched Arnold talking to a boy with tall hair coming in as they whispered. She couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but she noted the boy pointing to her as Gerald looked to the left. He stared at her in surprise, before giving a goofy smile. Arnold, on the other hand, just rolled his eyes as he snapped his fingers. Gerald snapped out of it as he nodded, letting his friend in.

Chloe patiently waited outside as she fiddled with her hair, looking at the damaged cup that was in her hand. Normally, she was very careful when it came to the china, but... she bit her lip. Hopefully, her mother wouldn't notice it... she shook her head, wondering if her mother would really BELIEVE such a lie. After a minute, Arnold departed out of the house, with a small cup in hand as he gave a nod to the inside, before walking back towards Chloe.

"Here's the sugar." Arnold said as he handed Chloe the cup of sugar.

"Oh, thank you. That's very polite of you to come over and help." Chloe gave a small giggle.

"Well, helping is what I do best..." Arnold said as he examined the cup Chloe was holding.

"I wish you can help me with the cup." Chloe sighed. "Mom's going to flip her lid if she sees this crack."

"Not necessarily." Arnold said, giving a smile. "Do you have any epoxy fluids?"

Chloe looked at the boy in surprise. "Do you know how to fix broken china?"

"I helped out whenever there were broken dishes, yes." Arnold said with a smile.

"Well... I guess I can see if I can try to fix the damage. Can you show me how to fix this cup?" Chloe asked, giving a smile.

Arnold gave a nod as he looked at the girl with a smile. "Sure. I'm not doing anything special."

Chloe giggled as she and Arnold entered inside the house, although if she had stayed outside a minute longer, she'd have met a certain older brother of Gerald's that was passing by.

\----------------------------------------------------------

"So, how long have you been living here, Chloe?" Arnold asked as he and Chloe were sitting together at the kitchen table, just as Arnold was preparing to put the mixture into the cup.

"About a couple of days ago, actually. I used to live in another part of town, but my parents decided to move me to a new house." Chloe explained as she crossed her legs. "A lot of things happen in town and well, my mother didn't like me hanging around the wrong neighborhood. So we moved here to get a fresh start."

"Well, I'm sure you'll love it on this end of Hillwood." Arnold said as he put the cup aside and put it in a cup of sand or gravel. "Just let it settle for an hour, and it'll be fine."

Chloe looked over towards the cup as she gave a smile. "Still a small crack, but it seems to be sticking together."

Arnold felt pretty accomplished as he looked over at the girl, shyly. "It's no big deal, really. I"m just happy to help out..."

"You know, I think you deserve a little reward for helping a girl in need." Chloe gave a small wink to Arnold.

"Wh-whatever do you mean?" Arnold asked.

Chloe could only give a smile as she said, "Well, I'm still making cookies. Why don't you stick around a spell, and we can talk and have some cookies?"

Arnold looked pretty much surprised at the offer as he looked at the clock. "Well, I still have to get back to my grandparents at six o'clock."

"Well..." Chloe turned as she gave a small smile. "It's three o'clock now. Enough time for you and me to get to know each other. And since you were so kind to help me, allow me to reward you."

"W-wow..." Arnold blushed a bit as Chloe got up. "I don't know what to say, Chloe, I-"

"Why don't you tell me about yourself?" Chloe offered as she went over to the kitchen where she put the cup of sugar in a mixing bowl as she was looking over the recipe. "Don't worry, I'm listening to every word."

Arnold paused as he looked over towards the older girl, wondering if he should stay. But, she actually seems friendly, and more willing to talk to the boy. Giving a small smile, he decided to talk with her on her life story, and listen, the girl did as she focused on baking cookies.

Little did Arnold or Chloe realize was that with this one act of kindness from Arnold, it would lead them on the path of romantic fate...


	2. Grandson-Grandfather Talk

What Arnold thought would just be a few minutes took up over an hour as Arnold and Chloe were busy eating cookies, drinking tea and sharing some light conversation as the young boy laughed at a small story the older girl told him.

"Hard to believe you actually attempted to act cool over someone you like." Arnold laughed.  
"What did happen with that?"

"Oh, nothing in particular." Chloe rolled her eyes. "After hanging out with him, I just thought that he wasn't the one. We literally had nothing in common other than the fact that I found him cute and hot."

Arnold gave a small chuckle, which slowed down a bit when he realized that he went through a similar story when it came to Ruth. Chloe gave a small grin as she fluttered her eyes towards the boy. "You know, Arnold, I should thank you for coming over. Not only are you a great guy to hang with, you certainly know how to keep a conversation going."

"Believe me, it's... no trouble." Arnold said with a half smile on his face. "If anything, I enjoy making new friends."

"Really?" Chloe smiled. "Well... would it be all right if we met again?"

"If you want to, I mean, that is..." Arnold stammered a bit, before giving another small smile. "I don't mind at all. Thanks again, Chloe."

Chloe smiled as she got up and took Arnold's hand. "Please, if anything, I'm happy to have a friend to talk to..."

The girl smiled as she pulled out a slip of paper from her skirt pocket and handed it to the football headed kid. "Here. My number. If you ever feel the need to talk, my line's always open."

Arnold could only give a nod before waving to Chloe. Chloe waved back to him happily as she watched the boy depart. She couldn't help but give a big happy grin as she held his heart. "He is such a cutie..."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

Arnold eventually arrived home and told his grandfather about the interesting new friend he had made, much to his interest.

Phil laughed as he put a hand on the side of his head. "So, little Shortman found himself a lucky girl, huh?"

"Grandpa, first of all, I'm not going out with her. She's like... thirteen." Arnold frowned.

"So? I've seen you oogling your eyes on older women before." Phil smirked, causing Arnold's eyes to widen. "Oh, it's nothing to be ashamed of, Shortman, it's human nature."

The boy could only look over at his grandfather in annoyance, before sighing. "Look, Chloe and I, we're just good friends. I only merely helped her fix her cup, and she baked cookies."

"Ooooo, a homemaker, huh?" Phil laughed. "Sounds like you got lucky."

Arnold frowned, knowing what Phil was talking about. "I didn't do anything of the sort, Grandpa. They were chocolate chip cookies and herbal tea, and both were quite delicious, thank you very much."

Phil laughed a little before settling himself down. "So then what happened?"

"Well, she gave me her phone number and we both agreed to hang out again." Arnold said as he patted his pocket where Chloe's phone number was.

"Oh ho..." Phil smiled. "Seems like whoever this Chloe girl is is pulling all the moves on you. I think she might even like you, Shortman."

"Like me? Grandpa, I only knew her for a day. I hardly think that qualifies as friendship." Arnold frowned, crossing his arms.

"Then why did she give you her digits, huh?" Phil asked, causing Arnold to stay silent. "Look, whether your friend is a girl or not, she was willing to give you her number. Do you have any idea how lucky you are in that department?"

"Well, yeah, but I get phone numbers from my friends all the time. Gerald, Helga, Phoebe, Rhonda, Harold... Sid literally has my number on speed dial." Arnold said.

"My point is, don't throw away a golden opportunity. You two might be able to hit it off someday, you know?" Phil smirked.

Arnold paused as he pulled out his new friend's number and looked at it, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"One more thing, Arnold."

The boy looked up as Phil was getting up from his side of the table. "Don't ever eat raspberries at Happy Hour. They'll give you the runs quickly."

Arnold rolled his eyes and shook his head at his grandfather's comment as the old man started to rush to the bathroom. As soon as he was sure the man left, Arnold got up and started to head upstairs, looking at the number.

 _"In love with Chloe? How can that be? I only met her."_ Arnold thought to himself as he travelled up the hall to his room. _"Okay, sure, she's nice and friendly, and from what I've talked with her, she enjoys my company... and she's pretty... but liking her?"_

Arnold paused as he pocketed the number as soon as he entered the room. He paused before pulling out the number and looking at it. "On the other hand, she did give me this number for a reason..."

The football head turned as he looked at his phone stationed in his room. He hesitated for a good few minutes, pondering whether or not he would call her... Arnold gave a shrug as he picked up the phone...


	3. The Invitation

And so, ever since that day, Arnold had made more frequent visits to his new friend as they spent some time talking with each other, occasionally sharing cookies and stories about school life. Arnold found it rather hard to believe that he had gained a new friend in Chloe, but for some reason, he couldn't help but feel happy around her. Sure, she looked slightly older than him (he would guess 13 years old), but she still treated him with respect and kindness. Going into Chloe's home was like a stress reliever for Arnold after a long day of school and giving advice to the friends who thought their ideas would be good. Even the occasional phone calls he had given to Chloe were just as wonderful, just hearing that sweet voice coming out of the receiver was enough to give Arnold a small smile.

Chloe herself was feeling rather strange herself. She couldn't explain it, but ever since she met Arnold, she had started to act a bit different around him. Sure, she was a good person with great social skills, and she realized that any boy she saw, she wanted to be with. But Arnold... yes, she wanted to be with him, but her heart was beating a lot differently than normal. Even when she spotted the older kid from next door, Jamie O, coming out and giving his young brother a noogie to the head, she thought there was something there, but... she felt nothing for him.

It was only whenever Arnold came over that she could be more relaxed, be more of herself, just sharing some laughs and happy thoughts... it felt like she knew this strange football head shaped boy forever. But either way, she was happy. She guessed maybe it was his charismatic charm that got her interest.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------

It all came to a head about a week later as Chloe was sitting down near the steps of her home, eagerly waiting for her new best friend as she hummed patiently to herself. Then, from the corner of her eye, she spotted the familiar football headed shape figure with a smile as she got up. There was Arnold, coming just about a minute or so late, but she didn't mind as the boy was carrying a mitt and a bat, presumably from finishing up a game.

"Hi, Chloe. Sorry I'm late. Game went on a little longer than I thought." Arnold grinned sheepishly as he looked at his friend.

"Oh, that's okay, cutie. You're here now." Chloe gave a giggle as she offered him her hand. Arnold smiled in kindness as he took it as she lead him inside. "Come, come, tell me all about your day."

Arnold couldn't help but give a laugh as he started to tell her about the latest game that he had played in with his friends. And Chloe listened rather intently, looking at the boy with interested eyes as they shared some cookies Chloe had recently baked. A few minutes had passed as Arnold kept telling his story.

"No way, a home run?" Chloe gasped as she gave a giggle.

"Yeah, it was hard to believe, but I pulled through for my team once again, even with Helga's nagging and yelling around." Arnold said as he munched casually on a cookie.

Chloe paused as she rubbed the back of her head. "Sounds like Helga's a bit of a nag."

"Well..." Arnold paused. "Yeah, she is. But she's a good person at heart."

"Only you, Arnold, could try to see the positive outlooks on life and try to get used to a girl who constantly bullies you." Chloe shook her head.

"To be fair, she's been reeling it in a bit, but yeah, she has a terrible temper." Arnold said. "Don't tell anyone I said this, but I think she might have had it from her father."

"Duly noted." Chloe said as she took another sip and looked towards the football headed kid with a smile. "You know, Arnold, I was wondering, are you busy tomorrow?"

Arnold paused in surprise before thinking for a moment. "Well, other than helping my grandparents out with some chores, I have mostly a free afternoon afterwards. Why?"

"Well..." Chloe paused shyly as she fiddled with her long ponytail. "If you're not doing anything, maybe you and I can enjoy a walk together, out in the city?"

Arnold's eyes lit up as he gave a smile. "You know, I wouldn't mind that at all. I'm assuming it's as friends?"

Chloe giggled as she ran her hand through Arnold's hair. "You're such a cutie, cutie. Anyway, it might depend on your point of view..."

The boy gave a small laugh as he felt the girl's hand rub his hair for a bit as he looked up. "Well... sure. It'll get me out of the house for a while, and I'm not planning anything big... of course I'd love to take you around the city."

Chloe giggled as she licked her lips and looked at the boy. "You're a wonderful boy, Arnold. You know that, right?"

"Y-yeah." Arnold blushed as he looked back at Chloe with a smile.

Arnold and Chloe didn't realize it yet, but tomorrow was going to be quite a big step towards their friendship. And what a day it would be...


End file.
